Summit
by xHiddenM
Summary: After a hundred years of tyranny, all that is left of Earth are stories of it being an organic planet that served as the landscape of the Autobot's demise. Now, on Vita Nova, all that is left of Cybertron and Earth is the Decepticon rule, the enslaved Autobots, and a genetically modified speices called Inferi. Does humanity still exist?
1. Chapter 1

**OK, this is just a pilot chapter. It's sorta based off my oneshot, Paper Hummingbirds. But there's isn't much interaction between characters as far as I know. I'm sorta considering it. **

**Please enjoy and Respond!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers!**

_******HAILTOTHEDOMINUS******_

_**Earth has fallen. **_

_**The decepticons have won. But they won without a fight from humanity after releasing a deadly disease. It was more than that though. It was a weapon made to give humans a sudden and intense pain. It boils your blood into nothing, bones turn into fire. The fire burns through your muscles, and slowly reaches your skin and pops your eyeballs. I wiped out a hundred thousand in a week. By a couple months, entire countries were wiped out.**_

_**And then strategically placed attacks were executed by the decepticons. The autobots tried – they really did – to stop them. But the 'cons were everywhere, and they were spread out too thin. They were captured. You'd think they'd be killed, but they weren't. No, they were forced to become slaves of the higher ranking officers.**_

_**The remaining humans were also taken. But instead of being murdered, they became experiments. Often times, autobots were forced to watch as humans of all ages – from infants to the elderly, from adults to teens, and from teens to young kids – were tortured. They were mere tests, to see what would happen. And they mixed their DNA with something else. Something that sometimes reacted badly. Many watched as they grew extra limbs, or their bones exploded from the inside. Not really a pretty picture, you know, seeing little kids' eye's exploded and their bones going pop and protruding out from their skins. **_

_**But something was injected into a series of humans. 6 of them, to be exact.**_

_**6 humans were injected with something (no one except Megatron and certain scientists/medics know what). And that something was a success. **_

_**And thus, a new species was born.**_

_**They weren't human or Cybertronian. They were Inferi. **_

_**There is no hope for Earth. There was no one left to hope. Hope was a myth now. Unreal…but it could've existed at one point. Or maybe something close to it. Nobody really knows anymore.**_

_**But the Inferi, they were something else. Only slightly larger than a human, say 7 feet tall (on average). Inferi had large wings on their back, the lifespan of a Cybertronian, and didn't truly age physically. They were thin, fast, and very pretty. Unlike humans, they had glowing eyes of every color. 'Course they had the regular colors like brown, hazel, blue, green, and others…but they also had neon yellow, pink, red, neon blue and green, and bright colors that glowed. The femmes had very long hair, usually 3-4 feet. The males were usually shoulder or ear length. Nobody had any shorter hair. And their ears were slightly pointed at the tips. The femmes had natural colored nails that changed color with every emotion they feel. If they were stressed, the nails would turn black, or pink if they were in love, blue if they were sad. The mechs were much, much, stronger than femmes. They also had wings of all colors and textures. Some were like sandpaper and bright blue, or like satin and light green. Some were feathery and dark brown. **_

_**Inferi were like pets, sold at certain areas (we'll get into that area later within the story). You had to have a lot of credits or know 'people' to get them.**_

_**The autobots who were enslaved were forced to spend most of their time on the ground on their knees or behind their owner. It was a very shameful and agonizing experience. They could be treated anyway – most were cruel; it was considered very strange to be nice to one.**_

_**The social class was also rebuilt.**_

_**1**__**st**__** class: Megatron and his cronies (Starscream, Soundwave, etc.). Mostly high ranking officers (Seekers, for one) and his advisors. The closer you were to Megatron, the more power you held. It also decreased the risk of dying. **_

_**2**__**nd**__** class: It may sound bad (If you lived before the massive takeover) but it was a pretty good place to be on the food chain. You might call it the higher middle class nowadays. These were made up of the rich people, the nobles, and the lords. They were usually in charge of the energon mines and/or entertainers. Medics are included in this class, as well as scientists. Both were closer to the first class under certain circumstances. For example, Megatron's medic could be in the first class; or a scientist developing assigned specifically by Megatron, for Megatron. **_

_**3**__**rd**__** class: The citizens. These were the people who lived within city-states. They were average, ordinary. An okay life to lead, but they were ripped off often, and not considered useful. They held jobs such as energon making/mining. **_

_**4**__**th**__** class: The poor. You do not wanna be them. They were treated like dirt. You'd see them a lot, though. They'd be out on the streets, begging for credits or help. How'd they become poor? They probably lost everything to Megatron. Or maybe an officer had pulled some strings to rip them off, making them go bankrupt. The 4**__**th**__** class sometimes held released autobots who had begged for mercy and 'saw their faults'. You didn't see them a lot though. **_

_**Anything Below: Usually dead within a few weeks, maximum. Or perhaps they were held as prisoners. Megatron liked a new toy every now and then. **_

_**Earth.**_

_**Gone forever.**_

_**All that's left are the decepticons and their pets. There is no Earth. **_

_**There is only a place. A place filled with suffering, longing, and confidence of those in power.**_

_**As long as he stands, Dominus Megatron will crush anyone and anything in his way. He will crush those who defy him painfully, and will destroy all hope and faith.**_

_**There is no such thing as hope anymore. **_

_**This is a new planet.**_

_**This is Vita Nova. **_

Optimus Prime followed Megatron, shoulders hunched over and head bowed. He nervously glanced up again, and then back down. They were heading towards Off's stock, where he kept hundreds of Inferi.

Optimus Prime followed Megatron, shoulders hunched over and head bowed. He nervously glanced up again, and then back down. They were head towards Off's stock. Behind them, two vertical rows of 6 followed Megatron, chest plates puffed out and armor shining. They carried spears with sharp, glowing blue tips. The bottom scraped the ground loudly, creating a steady beat they marched with. These were Megatron's guards. Megatron and Optimus didn't march, of course, but the scraping beat was loud, and was known to many as the _Warning._ It meant Megatron was coming. And he almost never had a good reason for leaving his palace. This time, however, he was coming to add to his collection of prisoners. The dictator was coming for an Inferi. He, as the most fearsome and most powerful person in the world, had many servants, soldiers, slaves, and everything else except for Inferi. He saw them as a reminder of Earth – and he despised what was Earth. Vita Nova was all that remains, and to Megatron, Vita Nova is his offspring, his sparkling he brought to life.

They approached Off's. Said mech came out, obviously hearing the _Warning_. He looked nervous, but Megatron grinned. It was a sickly grin, one not truly happy or joyful. It was Megatron showing he was practically bathing himself in Off's fear. Off was a 3rd class mech, but he was known for keeping the finest Inferi and had done plenty of illegal things and did a lot of bribing to shut a few mechs and femmes up.

He respectfully dropped to his knees and dipped his head low.

"Dominus Megatron," he greeted, looking like he was fighting the urge to start kissing him on his peds. It was probably just an act.

"What may I do for you, Dominus?"

I was having the worst day ever. Off had gotten mad at me today, and now I was stuck in the Closet. The Closet was a place hat could've been average sized to a mech, but giant to an Inferi. But not it was impossible for a mech to get in and extremely tight to an Inferi.

I was 'acting out' again, and Off had locked me in here. It was stuffy and hot, and there was junk everywhere. Not trash, but just junk. Old crap like broken datapads, old armor, empty paint cans, old energon cubes…okay, maybe there is some trash in here…but that's beside the point. The Closet is torture. Inferi are naturally claustrophobic. We need fresh air and open space to fly our wings. We can do that almost anywhere, and a tight place – do to our size – is nearly impossible. That is especially weakening to us when we _are _stuck in a tight spot like this. And the Closet is piled sky high with junk. I've made myself comfortable in a small pile of Magna Flos on top of a 20 foot pile of cracked datapads and small chunks of armor.

I'm lucky; I've gotten locked in here so many times as a punishment I was pretty used to it. It was still uncomfortable, but I wasn't having a full out panic attack and screaming to get out. At least Off wasn't tying my wings together – he hadn't thought of that. And I may be crazy, but I'm not crazy enough to make him consider that.

I fluttered my wings and took in a deep breath, brushing my vibrant blood red hair back. I hear the _Warning _outside. It's right by Off's entrance. If Dominus Megatron was coming here…perhaps to collect one of us…I hope Off will let me stay inside. Maybe he will; he'll think I might make him look bad. Oh, I kinda wanna do that now. Make Off piss himself and say something that'd make Megatron himself blush. Now that'd be a sight….Nah, Off would kill me later. Or shove me back here for the rest of eternity. Or Megatron might kill me. Or Off. Or both of us. Slowly, painfully…

Oh well. Better Off than me.

And suddenly, the door slams as far open as it could go, and Off is snatching me off from my pile of Magna Flos.

Optimus shifted his weight from his left foot to his right foot at random moments of time.

Many Inferi are in a large, beautiful room. It was like a human garden, but magnificent. There was a glass dome up above, paintings of stunning green vines of all shades of green. Magna Flos are everywhere, also different (but spectacular) colors.

There was a cool breeze in the air, and many other organic plants seemed to sway to it. Or maybe they were swaying to those walking by it…almost waving hello.

The once great Prime felt a pang of sadness, reminded of what had once been.

" – and these are the Inferi. There are some more around here, but the majority are in this room. I hope you find one that pleases you the most, Dominus."

"OFF! I wish to see where – Dominus Megatron, how much of an _honor _it is to see you, of course." Starscream started off screeching to Off, but catching sight of Megatron, he purred in a sickly sweet voice.

"Starscream," the Dominus responded, nodding. Starscream's own guards, 3 rows of 3 seekers followed him, and his slave – the autobot 3IC, designated Jazz – did the same. Jazz, unlike Optimus, stared out. Not looking any mech in the optics, but didn't keep his optics mainly on the ground. It made Optimus feel weak and ashamed. Megatron had broken him, but Jazz had remained strong. Although, Jazz was in a worse physical condition than him. Again, he felt ashamed of himself. He's Prime! He should be stronger than this! Jazz had many dents and scratches. He seemed to be sore, a slight limp in his step, wires poking out, the list went on and on.

Jazz stared straight at Optimus. A small smile played on his lips. And then Starscream's hand came flying out and knocked him to the ground. He grunted and somehow pulled himself up, even though he was handcuffed. Optimus had yet to figure out how to do that. Megatron would usually jerk him back up by his shoulder.

"You _do not_ look _anyone_ in the optics!" Starscream hissed. Jazz snorted. "Of course, _Master_," putting emphasis on 'master' just as Starscream did with the words 'do not' and 'anyone'. "It's as if I've _finally_ decided I'll be a good little slave and listen to your slag. I _love _doing as you say." He said sarcastically. Another smack, but Jazz did not fall to the ground.

"Don't you _dare_ talk to me like that!" Starscream shrieked. "You will do as I command!"

"That worked so many times on me, Starscream, and you know it."

"SHUT UP!"

"Your voice is so annoying."

BAM! Jazz was shoved up against the wall by his throat.

"_One more word you say and I will lose my temper…."_

"As if you hadn't lost it already."

Starscream didn't verbally respond to that. He only smirked. "And I know you absolutely _love_ it when I lose my temper." The SIC hissed.

It was obvious there was a deeper meaning to his words, and Jazz caught it. He stared Starscream dead in the optics. And then he dropped his gaze, giving him the barest and stiffest of nods.

He was released, and kept his gaze on the floor.

"Dominus, Off," Starscream nodded with forced politeness towards the two. "It was _quite _the pleasure to see you both."

"Come, slave, we have much to do now. Much, much more to do…"

Jazz, with the barest of glances at Optimus, followed, briefly brushing by him.

And then Optimus was alone with Megatron, Off, and the Inferi around the area. There was a brief pause of awkward silence. No mech said anything for a few moments, until Megatron announced he was going to study the Inferi and Off quickly continued talking.

"I'm sure my slave will be fine on his own?" Megatron inquired Off with a raised optic ridge. Off quickly nodded and rambled on some more. "Yes, yes…of course, Dominus, I will…"

Optimus tuned them out and glanced at the Inferi. Megatron and Off moved away towards a crowd of Inferi. He glanced at the Inferi closest towards a door that lead to another part of the building. The femme had bright red hair, almost equivalent to the human hue of blood.

Optimus – glancing at Dominus Megatron and Off – stepped closer to the Inferi. Her wings fluttered gently, and crooked smile played on her lips.

_Hello there._

A voice popped into his mind, and he recoiled as the femme smirked.

_I am Ember._

_*****HAILTOTHEDOMINUS*****_

**Okay, hope you enjoyed that chapter. Please REVIEW! **

**I used some Latin here (tell me if you spotted it). 'Vita Nova' means 'new beginning'. 'Dominus' means 'lord'. 'Magna Flor' means 'Big Flower'. I'll explain some changes to Earth in the next A/N, so please tune in for that! It's really important! **

**Quick questions: How do you think Inferi should dress?**

**And what type of pairing should there be? I'm thinking Jazz/Ember or Optimus/Ember. I'm open to any suggestions! And I'll try to PM a response to reviews! Ask your questions, PM me, and REVIEW. **

**Share your thoughts! :D**

** SweetnSour CHICKen**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi!:) Thanks to those who reviewed (Suki-Angel91494 and PrimesSPARROW). Um, here's Chapter 2, I hope you like it!**

**IMPORTANT NOTE ON INFERIS: just some quick facts, Inferi were originally created to serve as pets and do minor work for the decepticons. However, their plan half failed and half worked. Since Inferi are part human, they are not that strong (no offence to humanity), but they are part something else – you'll find out later – and can sometimes have strange 'abilities', oftentimes more than one *hint, hint*. They are also incredibly intelligent. Not that our hateful 'cons ever noticed. Why haven't the Inferi fought back if they can do incredible things? You're questions will be answered soon, my friends…:D**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own transformers! **

Ember tossed her dark red hair back, hovering in the air in front of Optimus. Arms crossed and a tiny smile on, she motioned for him to follow her.

Optimus glanced at the Dominus. This could prove to end interesting, in Ember's mind. He'd either get caught, or he'd make it through without getting caught. In all honesty, it didn't really matter for Ember. She never got caught unless she wanted to. Ember did a lot of things for what seemed like no entire reason. She got caught by Off often enough, but it was so helpful.

As an Inferi – and like all others – she was claustrophobic. But Ember was a fighter. A determined, arrogant, cunning, sneaky little bitch thing…and Ember absolutely detested being locked up. At Off's freedom was one of the worst things you could have. It was like having her wings cut off, in Off's world.

Here, if you were free, it'd be taken away faster than light could travel.

Drawn, a friend of hers, was the descendent of some of the first Inferi. Everyone in her family was told about Earth, Cybertron, and basically everything before Megatron finally took over.

Earth was paradise before Megatron. At least, that was what a deep, faraway part of Ember thought. That wasn't true, she knew.

But the idea of freedom….it drove Ember crazy. It made her giddy and excited. At the same time, it irritated her to no end. It was nagging at her; every time Off treated her like their pets, it'd piss her off. Most Inferi are accustomed to it; that was what they were created for.

To be someone's little plaything/toy.

_What if you could be free?_

That question popped up so often it was practically her mantra now.

Freedom….to do what you want, to act as you want, to say what you want….to have no one owning you, forcing you, hating you, treating you like dirt, Ember could rant on and on about her definition of it for hours, but that wasn't an option at the moment.

Her ideas would drive her mind out of her own mind, Drawn always said. Ember was filled with a burning passion to live by her own free will. Anger was right behind it.

Ember fluttered her wings turning away and diving into a pack of Magna Flos. Their feathery textures caressed her skin. She felt like she was diving through a cloud.

The Magna Flos was her favorite flower. Ember loved the silky petals, which vary in color. The petals were shaped like giant hearts, and the stems were always the darkest of blacks. But the center was what intrigued her the most. It was a glowing, deep red – like embers. Ember never knew her parents, but she had a strong suspicion she was named after the center of the Magna Flos.

"And who is this here, Off?"

Dominus Megatron's voice interrupted her thoughts. Damn, she'd been thinking so hard she forgot about everything else and tuned out the world. Cursing, she looked up in to the deep optics of Megatron.

Ember showed no fear.

_I have nothing to fear, _she told herself.

"Who is this Inferi?" Megatron asked Off.

"Personally I don't like it when people talk to me like I'm not here." Ember said thoughtfully, before Off could answer. Megatron turned towards her. It was like Death was staring at her, ready to rip open her chest cavity and eat her heart out, suck her soul out and laugh mercilessly, repeated her worst mistakes and embarrassments, bringing back her fears, whether they were rational or not.

"Are you not afraid of me?" he asked her, his voice low, quiet, and deadly.

"What gave you the impression I should be?" she shot back. He stepped closer.

"Do you know who I am at all?"

"I consider that an insult. I'm not retarded; I bloody well know who you are, _Dominus._"

"Watch your tongue, femme. I am Death. I can be your end, or I can be your beginning. Which shall I be to you?"

To her credit, Ember didn't even hesitate to respond. "If you're Death, you're both. Death is the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end. But you're not Death, you're a power hungry, sick fucker hell bent on killing anyone who disagrees. So I really don't need to answer that question, because it's pointless and stupid and you're lying."

Megatron leaned in close, his voice scratchy and deep. "I can kill you. Or better yet, I have the power to turn your life into the living Pit."

"Been there, done that, dumbass." Ember yawned. "I believe you're a little late to the party."

"Femme, please. I'm the _host_." He sneered.

"Then do your fragging job!" she snarled.

"_Dominus_," she hissed, flying around his head. At once, the atmosphere changed. It was silent, like, scary silent. Gone was the bickering. That was Ember's opening act. Here's the main event:

"You rebelled to give everyone equality, peace among everyone. No more slaves, fighting, and peace." Her voice was torturously soft. It was taunting, daring.

"Look out the window," she pointed out the open window. And past the meadow were the 3rd and 4th class mechs.

"See them?" she continued, still cruelly soft.

"Look at their faceplates, their optics. Some are smug, some pissed, some are absolutely, positively, distressed. They're hollow. They're outranked, can't be the same as the others. They don't have the power to fight back. Because they know _they will die_. _They will die in pain. You've caused this all. You have destroyed planets, innocent lives, an entire species_ _just because you felt them inferior and below you in intelligence. You are a self obsessed, HYPOCRITCAL, SELFISH__**, MURDERER! YOU HAVE RUINED EVERYONE'S LIVES! EVERYWHERE YOU GO YOU WRECK HAVOC ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN DESIRES! YOU HAVE EXTINUISHED ALL HOPE AND FREEDOM! THERE IS NO SUCH THING ANYMORE! JUST AS THERE ISN'T ANY SAFETY. THERE'S NO SAFE PLACE ON THIS PLANET ANYMORE! YOU NEVER STOPPED TO CONSIDER WHAT YOU LEFT BEHIND!**_" that was as far as Ember got before Megatron knocked her clear out of the air.

Optimus winced but made no comment. Ember fell towards to the rocky ground, but at the last second, she pumped her wings. A small puff of dust rose as Ember flew back up.

She brushed imaginary dust off her ragged clothes and smirked at the Dominus.

"Most people know better than to attack me when I'm on a rant. They don't like the pain."

"You think you can actually hurt me?" Megatron scoffed. He let out a sharp bark of humorless laughter.

"I'd like to see you try! The day a mere Inferi hurts me is the same day I offline!"

Ember shrugged. "You'd be surprised at all things a 'mere Inferi' can do to a mech. And not all of them have a positive effect. Please keep that in mind."

Megatron looked at her like a sparkling just told him they'd take over the world. He was amused, disbelieving, and saw no threat in that.

He turned to Off.

"I'll take the femme."

Ember almost fell to the ground again. WTF? Ember guessed she used the wrong tactics. Not like she thought she'd be able to scare him. Ember was aiming for annoying, pissy. Megatron was probably just amused by her antics. 'Course he was. He was _Megatron_. _Dominus _Megatron. He had it all, the power, the credits; the fucker reshaped the whole world so it would fit into the palm of his hand. Thinking back on it, Ember had acted too foolishly for her liking. She had countered his every move. She hadn't cowered in fear, sobbed her heart out, run away or anything. She wasn't afraid of him. And although the Inferi didn't know it, Megatron's cold, dark spark (what was left of it, anyways. It was still a mystery if he even had one or not) twisted when he thought of her. He'd grown cocky, and spoiled himself with power. The Dominus wasn't used to disrespect anymore. The world was his to toy with. Anyone who agreed otherwise was sentenced to prison and suffered long torturing and agony. They were cut off from energon, forced to drink just enough to bring him back from Death's doorstep.

Ember shouldn't have felt shocked. Now, she felt a little stupid. This was the perfect game to play. Player 1: Dominus Megatron. Player 2: Ember, Inferi.

Game on!

Off was just as shocked as Ember was, but he had a better way of showing it. Off jumped a mile, practically swallowed his own glossa, and choked.

"Y – You wanna get _her_?" he spat. Ember snorted, instantly thinking up a hundred different responses, each ruder than the last.

"How many credits?" Megatron asked. Off tilted his head to the side, considering.

"Well," he began. "Considering the healthy state, young age, and custom made clothing – "

"But her clothes are faded." Megatron pointed out. Off stared at him like he was stupid, "Yeah, but it's custom." He retorted. Now Megatron stared at him like he was retarded.

"5000 credits." Off stated, almost proudly. "5000?" Megatron snapped loudly.

"For this piece of scrap?" he asked, pointing at Ember.

"Hey! You're one to talk!" Megatron ignored her jibe.

"Yeah, 5000." Off repeated.

"I want her for 4000 credits." He said. Off shook his head. "5000."

The mech ignored his instincts. Denying the Dominus his pet never ended well…

"Steelburn?" Megatron nodded towards one of his guards, who was the color of half rusted, half polished metal. The guard took his spear (which was actually more like a staff) and flipped it, so that the sharp tip was at the bottom. And then he slammed it into the ground. The roof shattered. The plants – like Ember's Magna Flos – exploded. Not burst-into-flames explosion, but like a huge pop, sending the organic materials all over the room. The Inferi screamed, the force sending them flying backwards.

Off whipped around, staring at the Inferi lying on the ground, pulling plant pieces out of their hair, dusting dirt off or just plain unconscious, the broken roof, and the destroyed indoor garden…and gasped out:

"4000!"

**Can anyone guess where I got that last scene from? :D So thanks so much for reading; hope you enjoyed it. Actually, if you did enjoy it, please REVIEW! I'll get back to you in a PM!**

**IMPORANT NOTE: I want a better summary (since I am so terrible) so please PM me or leave a summary you think I should have. If I pick yours, I will write you out a one shot of your choice! **

**Thanks! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all! This update is kinda late, sorry. But here it is! **

**Um, thanks so much to Suki-Angel91494 for writing out that amazing summary! As a reward, I'm writing a little one shot for her. I LOVE the new summary so much more than mine hahaha.**

**Thanks to those you reviewed (PrimesSPARROW, Suki-Angel91492, and Cascade of Dreams)**

**My week's just been kinda crazy and I haven't been sleeping at night for a while now. I'm starting to forget the little things and staggering around like an idiot haha.**

**So yeah, please leave a comment and review! It's so nice to hear from my readers, you guys rock!**

**9:54 PM**

A few minutes later, Ember was sitting in a bird cage, specifically recommended by Off. It was built with a combo of titanium and Cybertronian metals. The cage was cylindrical with a dome on top. It came with a 'hamster wheel' and a little perch/swing for Ember. At the floor of the cage were built-in spaces (sorta like boxes), one that was closed over and had a tap, like a water fountain and another with food. The last one had her personal stuff – which had next to nothing.

The idiot who was holding the cage for the Dominus swung it back and forth as he walked. Ember didn't complain. Nah, clutching the chains connecting the perch to the dome and whistling cheerily worked way better.

"Stop that." Dominus Megatron ordered carelessly, not even bothering to look back at her.

Yup, pissing ol' Megsy off was _way_ better.

"Make me." Ember happily replied, whistling as loud as she could.

"Femme…" he growled warningly. His threat to kill/cause-intense-near-death-pain was clear.

"Have fun killing your new pet, dear Dominus." she smiled.

They were nearly back to the actum, a type of transportation that was invented awhile back, during the period of the creation of the Inferi. An actum was basically a giant car, the equivalent of a Cybertronian limousine. It was like a house sideways. Big, rectangular, long, with comfortable seats filling it; there was no driver. All you had to do was punch your destination and it'd take you there. Although most had their alt modes, the most important people (like the great big, kind, and caring leader we all know as Dominus Megatron. Yeah, that fits. Not like he enjoys killing innocent people slowly and painfully, and he doesn't make others do his crap or make lives living Pit. Yeah, we call those kinds of people _demons_. Such a fun life to lead, that one…) all have actums.

The dumbaft tossed Ember into the trunk of the actum. When he shut it, it instantly became dark. Ember sighed and hoped she wasn't being recorded or watched somehow.

Drifting from the perch, Ember floated gracefully down onto a tiny berth made just for Inferi. Or some type of really big Cybertronian sized bug. Ugh, giant killer spiders, bees, and mosquitoes. Spiders and mosquitoes drink all your blood and one bee sting will kill you. Or cause a very, very, large lump to grow on you. Ouch. There goes your social life. You know, straight down the fire filled toilet and into the Pit.

Scary thoughts those are indeed.

Snorting in a very un-ladylike way, Ember lay down on the berth, wincing as her wings were crushed under her weight and rolling over onto her stomach. There were some Inferi berths made to accommodate the wings, but this wasn't one of them. Not by a long shot. If Ember were human, this would've been very comfortable. But she wasn't human, she had very large wings that were, like, half as long as her own body and she stood at 7'6", average for her species. The berth was too short – her feet dangled over the edge. The blanket was really thin and the pillow was basically another blanket.

It was going to be a long, long night.

_******HAILTOTHEDOMINUS******_

**10:26 AM**

Ember woke up in a dimly lit room with 2 other slaves.

Half groaning and half grunting (also known as the double-morning-Gs), Ember sat up and stretched, her mouth opening into a tiny 'O', her eyes half closed.

She nodded to the other slaves.

"Hey," she said, stretching, wings twitching.

They stared at her.

She frowned. "Anyone know the time?" they remained silent, optics trained on her.

"Do I have something on me?" she asked, looking down at her clothes. She wore a pale, faded dress. It was the standard Inferi femme clothing. The dress was just halfway down her lower legs, white, with a shoulder-to-shoulder length collar, a little torn at the edges, and elbow length sleeves. Her red hair was messy and she went barefoot.

Ember tapped her foot impatiently. "It's rude to stare, you know."

Nothing.

"Ugh! You mechs are so hopeless when it comes to conversation!" she rolled her eyes. The smaller mech snickered. He was Starscream's, she realized. The other was Megatron's, tall, red and blue with flames (which was totally faded), and wary. Hell, nearly everyone in this world was wary now.

That signature smile of hers played at her lips as she flew up, stretching her wings out horizontally. The lock on her door was in the shape of a maple leaf. Cybertronian numbers were all over it, tangled wires crisscrossing, and red dots randomly printed on. There was also a hole, big enough for the tip of a mech's finger to go through.

Ah, Ember had this thing figured out.

"You'll never be able to figure out that lock," Starscream's slave said. He had a thick accent.

Ember smirked. "Oh I have this figured out alright." She nodded.

"And just how ya gonna do that?" he drawled lazily.

Ember shrugged, and turned sideways, and slid through the bars, her wings grazing the icy metal.

"By sliding through." She answered, shrugging.

"Lazy-ass girl." He teased. She laughed lightly, airily. "Why do the hard stuff when there's a much easier option right in front of you? Besides, that lock could've been booby trapped. It could've zapped the shit outta me, could've set off an alarm or something in that area…and slipping through the metal leaves less evidence."

"And you can't do it anyways." He retorted. "I could've crapped on it." she suggested, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"Now that would've been a sight." He deadpanned. Ember made a face.

Ember moved her wings and flew over to them. Both were handcuffed. Scraped, dented, and dim opticed, they – "Looks like the both of you have been through hell and back." She muttered. The silver said, "Ah'm used to it now, Ah guess."

"I'm Ember," she said. "Jazz." He smiled, but – this is gonna sound really cliché – they didn't reach his optics. Not like they could've.

The latter remained quiet.

Jazz nudged the mech, who remained impassive.

"This here's Optimus, Optimus Prime." He spoke for the other.

She raised an eyebrow. "Pleasure," she drawled.

Quiet.

"Please, you have the right to remain silent."

…

"Gotta love one sided conversations."

Jazz snorted. "This is _totally_ a face palm moment. Prime, say some shit!"

…Nothing new.

Jazz turned back to Ember. "He's a tad bi' on the shy side."

"I figured as much," she grumbled.

"So why are you two mechs here? I'm pleased to inform you our 'Dominus' is a heartless bastard with a knack for enslaving innocent people. And I can assure you…I am _very_ innocent and _very_ much enslaved."

Jazz cracked a smile at her words. "Ah can believe that."

"If you can believe that, you're not as smart as you seem."

"Ah don't know ya that well yet, now do Ah?"

"You want to 'get to know me'?"

"Ya think Ah'm smart?"

"Shut the FRAG up!"

The door opened, and Megatron burst through, a strange look of both content and annoyance.

_He's contently annoyed_. Ember thought.

Starscream followed Dominus Megatron, optics narrowed but his faceplates pleased.

Ember wondered if Megatron just told them to shut up, or Starscream.

Jazz and Optimus stared at the floor, suddenly looking really tired.

Before Megatron could notice Ember out of her cage, she shoots towards the bird cage, slamming her right wing on a bar by accident. The force and sudden pain through her off balance, and she half cart wheeled, half tumbled through the air. And honestly, Ember has had enough of falling. She didn't particularly like the feeling of her stomach dropping and panic surging through her veins.

The next scene happened in slow motion – in reality it happened in about 3 seconds:

Ember toppled around, bright red hair swatting her face and fighting to pull it away. Ember flailed, desperately groping the air. She _did not_ wanna hit the cold hard metal at, like, 60 mph.

But Ember got lucky, and managed to snatch the perch. It swung wildly as her body caught up with her. Ignoring the pain spiking in her shoulder, she flipped, landed in a sitting position, hair whipping back.

Megatron turned to look at her.

"'Sup," the young Inferi greeted, nodding and swinging.

Both Megatron and Starscream stared at her. Dress wrinkled and riding up to her thighs, hair looking like someone had used a tornado for a blow drier, and a dented wing made up her appearance.

Finally, the Dominus shook his head in a 'whatever' motion. "Don't sleep so late next time."

"Sure thing, O great Dominus of mine." She said sarcastically.

"Starscream, any last words to your slave?" Megatron asked, just as sarcastically as Ember spoke.

Jazz's head jerked up. "Last words?" he repeated. Was he about to be killed? After surviving through all this bullshit, he ends up getting fucking _executed_ because some whiny-ass gay SIC wants him to? Or did his dumbass master say something incredibly retarded, and Jazz was getting killed as punishment? Or did Starscream attempt to assassinate Megatron again, and he was also getting killed as punishment. After all, he did most of Starscream's dirty work; cleaned his crap up, told him about his next appointment or conference with whatever leader of whatever place. Status reports, news on stuff…And sometimes he screwed up all his times and destinations just to piss him off…but losing Jazz would be a big blow to Starscream all the same. Megatron was practically cutting off Starscream's backup, his left hand (not his right, he wasn't trusted enough).

Starscream stared at Jazz and turned on his heel, leaving him. Jazz felt very much like a human's puppy. The puppy's caretaker could no longer take care of him, so he was being dumped alone, and left lost.

Of course, Jazz was definitely not a puppy, Starscream was no 'caretaker' by any means, and technically he wasn't alone at the moment. So maybe that wasn't the best analogy. He was only feeling this way because he didn't wanna die.

"Slave…" Megatron growled. Optimus hadn't moved a muscle, as the humans used to say. "Yes, Master?" he responded quietly.

"Make room in your quarters, our newest slave will be staying with you." Optimus almost looked back up, but quickly looked back down. Jazz, however, gaped at the Dominus.

"Ah – Ah'm staying here?" he stuttered.

Megatron backhanded him across the face. Jazz, used to this, hardly swayed.

Again, Optimus felt foolish and ashamed. That always threw him to the ground. How did Jazz _stand_ this? No pun intended.

"Do not _dare_ to look me in the optics again, slave! Nor will you speak out or question my words again!"

"Frankly, Ah don't give a fuck!" Jazz snapped. "Now answer meh: did you slaggin' _buy_ meh from Starscream?" Megatron snarled and shoved Jazz to the ground. Easily, the silver mech stood back up, and remained silent. It wasn't worth the extra damage to his frame. He was already quite beaten up, and his self-repairs had long since stopped working.

"I will not tolerate this slag from my slave." Megatron hissed. "One more word from you…and I will happily take you to Skillkill. He will ensure you will shut the frag up and learn to respect your new master."

Jazz lowered his gaze, giving Megatron the barest of nods.

"Take the Inferi to your quarters as well, I do not wish to see her in here."

"Yes Master." Optimus said, as quietly as ever. He took the cage off the desk it was on. His Master moved to the side. A guard stepped out of line, and the soldiers shifted so there was one mech taking the tail of the 2 lines.

The guard led them to 'their' new quarters.

**Whoo! Finished! For now…:D**

**Ok, so in case you don't get it, an actum is a limousine for 'royalty'. Even though they have alt modes, actums are signs of importance in Vita Nova. For example, Megatron is the Dominus (basically king, leader), so he doesn't have to 'waste his time' driving himself. This wasn't mentioned in today's chapter, but actums are super tough; it'd survive bombs, gunfire, any sort of attack or hit. In the past, when Megatron was barely recognized as Dominus – in the autobots' eyes', that is – there were still many attempts to assassinate him. There were a few close calls*, so the actum was invented. There are other things similar to the actum, like the Seeker 1, a plane just for the Dominus. There's also a boat (I have yet to think of a name for that), and a submarine. **

**Now, quick point I wanna make: who is this inventor? Who's the person that's been creating the Inferi, the actums, and all this stuff?**

***In which all of Megatron's original guards were killed and he was forced to fight the autobots himself. He won, obviously. Those autobots were just strays, like leftovers, the lucky ones who fought tooth and nail to escape. Sad thing was, they lost their pride on the way; and tried to survive on any way they could. **

**SPOILER ALERT: Megatron killed all of them, except for one.**

**Please, please leave a comment! :D Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright! Hi! Sorry this took me so long! I had a whole chapter, and then I forgot to save it so my stupid computer lost the file, then I went on vacation, and I'm starting school soon and bleh! It's been a mess! Sorry! So um, here, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers. Michael Bay and Hasbro do. Sucks for me….**

Ember wasn't really sure what to expect when they were led to Optimus' 'quarters'. He was the slave here; she really didn't think he was supposed to even have _quarters_. Wasn't it supposed to be, like, It was actually a little unexpected. Enemy gets to have a room in warlord/murder/evil villain's castle. When did hell freeze over?

The guard led them down a series of hallways. The further in they went, the less sunlight came through the windows, and Ember realized they were going downwards. She'd lost track of how many turns they made, and at the point they were at, there were no landmarks, nothing distinguishable enough to help her find her own way around later.

The deeper they went, the less clean everything was. And believe it or not – Megatron's castle was very clean. It was actually kinda-sorta-might be a little bit beautiful too, with stunning statues of himself, and a few others like Soundwave, Starscream, his trine or all 3 together, and others showing Megatron defeating Optimus, Soundwave taking down other and the same with Starscream. A few were just plain out statues of dying autobots. Well, that's not really _pretty_…

The pretty part was the giant multi-colored Magna Flos that were stemming up from the green grass, perfectly trimmed for _Cybertronian _size. So if Ember were to take a walk, she would be taking a walk through like 5 ft tall grass and up.

Ember loved the Magna Flos there, especially the ones with the yellow and blue swirl, topped off with the bright red center. They were everywhere, in perfect little gardens, circling the statues and monuments, in bunches around entrances and gates, each a different color, some swirled.

But down here, there were no Magna Flos, no grass, no anything. It was sad. The castle was built so strongly, but below, it was a piece of crap. Instead of metal walls, these were stone, old, with dirt seeping through.

Ember suppressed a shiver. It was so cold!

The guard shoved a door open. Instead of it going up like most usually did, it was very human-like, minus the knob. It was just an old chunk of flattened stone that screeched loudly against the metal floor, making her wince.

They entered, and the guard set her cage down on the floor. Then he pulled the stone back into place, leaving. Like Ember thought about: she wasn't so sure what to expect.

OK, so it was freezing here, they were virtually underground, and…

_Wow this place looks like crap!_ Ember thought.

And it did, really. The stone was cracked, sloppily put together. Dirt seeped through, dusting the floor with it. An old berth was put in the very back. It didn't look very comfortable.

There were empty energon cubes (not many though. Prime was probably undernourished) scattered around the room, a rickety table with a half broken leg and two stools stood by it on the other side of the room. A datapad sat on top of the table. And guess what? Everything was dirty. Yay!

"Some place you got here, Prime." Ember muttered.

Jazz looked like he didn't give two shits about it and plopped himself down on one of the stools, leaning against the wall.

The room was small to Cybertronians, and more like a slightly bigger than normal walk-in closet. The only thing that kept the place lighted was the strange Cybertronian candles and the giant fireplace in the room, about half as tall as Jazz. But half the 'candles' weren't even lit, and the hearth had a very dim glow.

"So when do we get some energon cubes?" Jazz asked Optimus cheerily, propping his feet up on the table and crossing them.

"It depends. Megatron has a habit of taking out his anger on those below him. Physical force is…expected," he choked a little. "He does not hesitate to cut our energon supply, so I keep extra rations stored."

Optimus moved towards the back wall, pushing a stone back. And behind it, a few cubes of energon were stored. 4 were full, and 2 more were only half full. It was obvious the energon was contaminated and old.

"I rarely ever get full cubes." He stated.

"Low grade?" Jazz asked.

_Barely. That doesn't even look properly refined. _Ember thought.

Optimus nodded and handed him a full cube. The saboteur shook his head and pointed towards a half. The Prime didn't chew him out, didn't hesitate to hand him the other one instead. Jazz nodded gratefully, chugging it down.

Ember went to the tap in her cage and drank too, out of both thirst and boredom.

She moved back to her little swing barely a few seconds later. Who knew when Megatron would refill her water and food? She'll save it until she gets more.

Swinging, the Inferi and Jazz started up a conversation about the 'Dominus'. Meaning they thought about every single thing involving Megatron and made really stupid jokes out of him and how they feel about him.

"He must have a low opinion of people if he thinks there his equals!" they laughed. Optimus was as quiet as ever, but he let out small smiles all the same. They'd moved towards the fireplace, taking the stools with them. Ember huddled with a blanket on her shoulders in front of it, having slipped out of the bars to her cage again.

"Please, I wasn't born with enough middle fingers to show him how I feel." Ember said, cracking up.

"I'm the type of person who laughs at mistakes," Jazz grinned. "So maybe I should apologize in advance if I laugh in his face?" he questioned.

"I believe in respect for the dead; in fact I could only respect him if he _was_ dead."

"Nah, I'd spit on his grave."

They snickered together, and settled into a quiet silence by the crackling fire. She had no idea how Jazz had got it going so well, but it was warmer here than before. Well, it's still really cold.

Ember had ditched the cage a short while ago, leaning back on Optimus's foot instead, shivering.

"You are cold," Optimus said, stating it not as a question, but as a fact.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." She snorted, shivering again.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jazz was deep in thought. Although his visor covered his eyes, she could read his emotions easily.

"If it helps," Optimus transformed. It was a slow progress. He couldn't transform like he use to be able to, and he hadn't in do long anyway. Years of constant abuse and lack of energon had done bad things to his frame. Instead of smooth sounding shifts and gears, that used to put humans in awe, metal shrieked against metal painfully. A high pitched whirr sounded, and a couple wires were pulled, stretched. Some snapped completely with a burst of sparks.

A minute later – which was far too long for a simple transformation – he was in his old Peterbilt Semi mode. The paint was scratched up, his windshield cracked and a tire looked deflated, popped.

He creaked open his door for Ember.

"You may enter, and I shall turn on the heat for you." he finished, sounding a little strained. Ember glanced at Jazz, who looked a bit surprised. She mentally shrugged and entered. His heating blared on at full blast, instantly warming her up. She sighed contently, the seat reclining for her to relax in.

It didn't occur to her that Optimus might be uncomfortable. Even if he was, he'd never voice it after seeing that look of true peace and even a hint of innocence.

_So tired_, _and for no goddamned reason!_ She thought drowsily.

Ember fell asleep, dreaming.

_Ember was back at Off's, laying in her Magna Flos. She smiled blissfully, wings spread back. Magna Flos were one of the few natural things that would adjust for Inferi wings, caressing them perfectly, letting them sink in and then relaxing her back._

"_Are you just going to be lazy all your life?"_

_A voice interrupted her happy sensations._

"_Drawn," Ember greeted, somewhat growling._

"_Are you?" she asked more sternly._

"_Maaaaybeee." She drew it out, grinning cockily._

_Drawn sighed loudly, and Ember suppressed a groan. Peeking through an eyelid, she saw the other Inferi floating there. Drawn flipped her hair back, a beautiful color of the lightest tree trunk, or just a shade darker than bamboo. Her white, frayed dress seemed to shine. They were in the indoor garden. The sun seemed especially bright today; Ember couldn't see anything other than Drawn in the rays. _

_Drawn shifted. Her wings were spread out perfectly. They were a beautiful mint green and creamy white, with little gold dots here and there. _

_Ember briefly wondered why her creators named her Drawn. Huh. She was just now realizing she really didn't know much about Drawn, the person who had basically been her role model and raised her after her own creators were sold off._

"_C'mon Ember, you've got to stop fooling around. Take this seriously." She knew that look in her eyes. It was that listen-to-me-or-you-will-end-up-doing-something-stupid look._

"_You have absolutely _no_ idea what is going to happen." Drawn's voice was shaky, something that the confident woman ever spoke like._

"_Things are happening, Ember," she continued, wings flicking._

"_I won't be able to stop it! Not this time, Ember." Tears fell down both faces, thought Ember wasn't sure why._

"_You need to listen to me. You need to survive. You die, everything dies. Ember, are you listening to me?" she demanded. The younger Inferi nodded frantically. What was happening?_

"_This isn't happening the way it was supposed to Ember. We have interference. Nothing has gone right since the day – "_

_BUZZ…_

_Drawn's form flickered, and Ember reached out, panic erupting violently inside her._

_Drawn recoiled before Ember could touch her, shaking her head. "My connection is breaking. Someone is trying to force me back. Ember, I trust you. I know you don't trust people, but you have to trust them – "_

"_Who's 'them'?" Ember interrupted. Drawn continued, as if she couldn't hear her._

" – _With your life. They're planning it now! The victor is dead!"_

"_Who's the victor?" Ember shouted, growing frustrated._

"_You aren't alone, we have your side."_

_BUZZZZ_

_Drawn briefly flickered out, but she reappeared, blurring._

"_No! No! No! Ember!" Drawn cried out frantically, panicking, reaching for the girl._

"_That wasn't me! Don't listen to them! That wasn't me! Keep your eyes open, Ember. It's the plan! Look for the Su – "_

_BUZZ BUZZZZ BUZZZZZZ_

_She disappeared, and then reappeared, and then disappeared again. That time, the loudest buzz of all sounded, deafening her. The bright sunlight coming through burst in her eyes. _

_Blindingly._

Ember jerked awake violently, gasping for breath and eyes wide.

"Whoa."

**The Throne Room**

"My lord, our prisoner managed to intercept the transmission."

"What?" Megatron sat up straighter in his throne. "What is the damage?"

"Nothing physical, or course, my lord. She tried to explain our plans, but I cut her off. I have planted the false details within her mind successfully, and the only thing your pet should be feeling – "

"Is confusion." Dominus Megatron finished, tapping his chin. This could actually delay his plans, but in the most…_delicious_ of ways.

He debated whether or no he should kill the other. _No_, he figured._ I shall save that for later._

"Send me the exact transmission. I want to see the damage myself."

"Yes sir. B-But sir, the feedback will only show what we and the prisoner have planted, not the girl's mental reaction, since it is not truly…a reality."

"It would do well for you to remember that I understand all of the qualities of the machine perfectly." The Dominus growled lowly, hissing, his intent and meaning crystal clear.

"Y-Y-Y-Ye-Yes s-s-sir!"

"Very well. Send it to me now. I have much thinking to do."

"Y-yes s-s-sir."

Dominus Megatron turned towards his prisoner.

Drawn lay on the bed, several wires connected to her body. A metal bowl shaped device laid on top of her head. She was thrashing back and forth, teeth gritted, fists clenched, and sweating like mad.

"Yes…the _real_ fun shall begin…"

**Hope you enjoyed that! I'm so sorry, it's short:(**

**I really can't think of anything without dragging out some scenes and stuff and ugh. I really don't like how it was written; I just couldn't think how to smoothly write things out. I kinda want to start over, but it's been too long since I last updated, and I'm pretty sure it'd turn out worse if I started over. Besides, I really like how it ended – like, halfway through the dream. Oh, and I think you guys should figure out why I titled this as 'Summit' soon enough. Plus I already lost the first file. Just so you know, I **_**might**_** go back to edit the chapter. Maybe. Not likely. Never mind. **

**Anyway, today it was poorly written and late and I apologize. I swear the next chapter will be up soon!**

**But thanks for reading anyway! Gimme some feedback, please! :D**


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